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Campus commemorates 20th anniversary of fall of the Berlin Wall

November 9, 2009 : Kristen Riordan

Twenty years ago on Nov. 9, 1989, the world watched amazed as the Berlin Wall was taken down. The symbol of oppression and tyranny for nearly three decades was finally falling, representing the end of Soviet domination and the end of the Cold War. Liberty University is remembering that day in a special way this week.

A piece of the Berlin Wall will remain on display in the Grand Lobby of Arthur S. DeMoss Learning Center on the Liberty campus throughout the week. Scrawled across the fist-sized fragment is the word "Liberty," written by some unknown Berliner who sought freedom from oppression as the city was separated. Dr. Bruce Bell, dean of Liberty’s School of Business, acquired the piece of rubble on a May 2009 trip to Europe in which he led 45 LU students, alumni, staff, faculty and family members. The trip included a three-day stop in Berlin. The display includes a picture of the tour group posing in front of the wall, as well as a photograph of Ronald Reagan during his “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall!” speech, and another of Reagan and Liberty University founder Dr. Jerry Falwell.

Also in light of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Liberty University College Libertarians joined efforts with Campus Reform and Young Americans for Liberty to host, “Are We Rebuilding the Wall?,” an event in which schools across the nation set up their own representation of the Berlin Wall — with the 10 planks of communism — to ignite concern for the current state of America’s government. Liberty’s wall was built in the DeMoss Hall Courtyard.

Senior Matthew McCain, chairman of College Libertarians at Liberty who sported an authentic East German border guard hat (compliments of Dr. Stephen Bowers at Liberty’s Helms School of Government) stood by the wall on Monday to speak to curious students passing by.

“The purpose of today’s event is to first commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall,” McCain said. “Secondly, it’s to draw attention to the 10 planks of communism and show the United States laws and policies that fall under each plank in order to educate the student body on the socialist and communist slant of America over the past 100 years.”

The College Libertarians chapter at LU debuted this semester. Its mission statement is to “encourage libertarian thought within Liberty University and in society at large. Specifically to educate the students of Liberty University on limited government, personal liberty, the vision of our founders, and that libertarian principles are compatible with a coherent and biblical worldview.”